Corn-husking and stalk-cutting machine.



No. 717,220. Patented Dec. 30, I902. JOHN KULLING, HENRY KOELLING &HERMANN KGELLING.

CORN HUSKING AND S TALK CUTTING MACHINE. A plication filed. Apr. 9,1900. 1,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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Patented Dec; 30, [9112.

No. 7l7,220.

JOHN KULLING, HENRY KUELLING & HERMANN .KOEL'LING. CORN HUSKING ANDSTALK CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 9, 1900.)

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(No Model.)

No. 70,220. Pat h t ed Be an, I902. 4mm mums, HENRY KOELLING & HERMANNKOE'LLING.

I CORN HUSKING AND STALK CUTTING MACHINE.

. (Appligation'flled. Apr. 9, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KGLLING, HENRY KOELLING, AND HERMANN KOELLING, OF ARLING- TONHEIGHTS, ILLINOIS.

CORNV-HUCSKING'AND STALK-CUTTINGMACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 717,220, datedDecember 30, 1902.

Application filed April 9,1900. Serial No. 12,117. (No model.)

as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

Our invention relates to a novel construction in a corn-husking andstalk-cutting machine, the object being to provide a machine of ,thiskind which while it snaps the ears from the stalks and removes the husksfrom the ears will shred and break the stalks suit-' able for feed andwill also remove from the shredded stalks and husks any loose kernelswhich might be in same, it having been found that the percentage ofloose kernels is sufficient through their fermentation to sour. thewhole mass of shredded material, thus,

making it unfit for feed.

Our invention consists in the features of construction and combinationsof parts here-v inafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure'l is atop plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with our invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical-longitudinal section of same on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig.4: is a detail elevation of the snappingrolls. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of thehusking-rolls. Fig. 7 is avertical section on line 7 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8is a detail elevation of the spring-clutch mechanism.

Our device consists of two parallel side frames 1 and 2, connectedtogether by means of a plurality of cross-pieces-3, the sides. beinginclosed with any suitable material and the whole forming a rectangularbox-like structure open-at its ends and suitably mounted on wheels 4 forease of transportation. A feed board or table 5 is provided at the topof the forward end of the machine,on which the bundles of stalks areplaced preparatory to being fed to the snapping-rolls 6 and 7. The

longitudinal ribs 11.

latter are journaled in spring-actuated bearings in said side frames 1and 2, said roll 6 being placed vertically above said roll 7' and beingnormally held in contact therewith, the line of contact being on a levelwith the top of the feed-board 5, which terminates adjacent saidsnapping-rolls, leaving an open space 8 through which the ears of corndrop when snapped from the stalks. Said roll 6 is provided with aplurality of longitudinal angular grooves 9. The su rface of said roll 7is provided with right and left spiral grooves 10, which start at themiddle of said roll and extend toward the ends thereof,the walls of saidgrooves 10 being connected with a plurality of narrow The cornstalks arefed to the snapping-rolls midway between the ends of the latter,and asthe stalks are drawn through between the same the spiral grooves 10spread the stalks toward the ends of the rolls, thus leaving the middleportion of same free for feeding more stalks and making use of the wholelength of the rolls for snapping off the ears,which on account of theirbulk and I solidity do not pass through between the rolls.

As the stalks are drawn through between the snapping-rolls 6' and 7 thelongitudinal grooves 9 and the ribs 11 tend to crush the stalks, sothatthey are easily broken into short pieces. Beyond said snapping-rollsand adjacent thereto and rigidly mounted on a shaft 12 is ashredding-cylinder 13, consisting of a plurality of longitudinal bars14:,

rigidly fastened to a plurality of disks 15,- mounted rigidly upon saidshaft 12. The lower snapping-roll 7 is driven by the shaft :12throughgearing 12, and the'rolls 6 and 7 are geared together, as shownat 7, Fig. 4. Projecting from said bars 14 and arranged in rings aroundsaid cylinder are a plurality of knives or cutters 16. Mounted belowsaid snapping-rolls and concentric with said shredding-cylinder is asegmental plate 17,

provided witha plurality of fixed projecting 5 knives or cutters 18,similar to the knives 16 and alternating therewith, said knives 16and-18 being adapted to shred or slit the stalks longitudinally,wl1ile thebars 14 tend to break the slitted stalks into short pieces suitable toofor feed, the inclined conveyer-belt 19 being adapted to receive saidslitted stalks as they drop from said plate 17 and cylinder 13.: As theears are snapped from the stalks they drop through said opening 8 uponthe upper end of a plurality of pairs of inclined husking-rolls 20, downthe incline of which they slowly travel, being helped on their course bymeans of the conveyer 21, which is placed above and parallel to saidhusking-rolls. Said husking-rolls 20 are rigidly mounted on shaftsjournaled in hearings on two of the crosspieces 3, the forward endsbeing placed lower than the rearward ends. Suitable gearing 22 isprovided at their upper ends, so that the rolls turn in the direction ofthe arrows on Fig. 7, said gearing being protected by the inclinedhinged plate or apron 23, which plate tends to guide the ears to thesaid huskingrolls. Said husking-rolls 2O consist of pairs of tubeshavinga plurality of rows of rigidlyprojecting pins 24 upon theircylindrical surfaces, said pins 24 being larger at their outer than attheir inner ends. Alternating with said pins 24 are recesses or openings25 through the walls of said tubes, into which said pins 24 of the othertube project as the rolls revolve. Guard-bars 26 are placed overalternate spaces to prevent undue agitation of the ears and at the sametime to keep the earsmoving down the incline in an endwise direction. Asthe ears move down the incline of said husking-rolls 20 the pins 24catch the projecting portions of husks and pull them through between thesaid rolls and drop them upon the said conveyer 19, the husked earsbeing dropped from the lower end of the rolls 20 through the inclinedchute 27 upon the ear-conveyer 28, by which they are delivered at anydesired point. In practice it is found that the husking-rolls 20 loosenmore or less kernels from the ears, which loose kernels are passedthrough said huskingrolls to the conveyer 19 along with the husks. Saidconveyer 19 is situated below the said huskingrolls 20 andshreddingcylinder 13 and is adapted to receive the loosened husks andkernels and the shredded stalks and drop them upon the lower end of aconveyer 29. A platform 19 is carried by said frames 1 and 2 within saidconveyer-belt 19, which acts as a support to the latter. Beneath saidbelt 19 is a floor 19*, which prevents any corn or husks from falling tothe ground, said conveyer 29 being built up of wooden bars or slats 30,fastened to sprocketchains 31, said bars 30 being separated sufficientlyto allow the kernels of corn contained in the mass to fall through saidconveyer 29 upon the vibratory screen 32. In order that the mass ofmaterial will not be too thick to allow the kernels to work through, theconveyer 29 is run ata higher speed than the conveyer 19, thus spreadingthe material in a thin layer on said conveyer 29. The conveyer 29 isdriven by a crossed-belt connection 29 with the shaft 12, and betweenthe conveyors 29 and 19 is reducing-gearing 19. The mass of feed freedfrom all corn is dropped from said conveyer 29 upon a carrier 33,adapted to convey said feed from the machine and deliver it at anydesired point. The said vibratory screen 32 consists of'a plurality ofslightly rearwardly inclined foraminated plates 34, held in a suitableframe 35,

said frame having side walls 36,a down wardlyinclined bottom 37, theforward end being partially closed by the inclined wall 38. Said frame35 is hung to the side walls of the machine by means of the links 39 andis vibrated by means of the crank-shaft 40 through the pitman 41,pivoted to the bottom 37 of said frame 35. The inclined end wall 38helps to guide the kernels and chaff to the plates 34. As the kernelsand chaff fall upon the said plates 34 they are violently agitated, andthe kernels passing through said plates 34 are carried by said inclinedbottom 37 to the spiral conveyer 42, which is situated below the forwardend of said screen 32 and adapted to convey the corn delivered to it toany suitable receptacle. As the corn passes through said screen 32 thechaff is removed bya continuous blast of air produced by the rotatingfan 43, situated below the rearward end of con veyer 19, the volume ofair being suitably regulated by means of the adjustable dooror plate 44,said chaff being delivered upon said carrier 33, together with theshredded stalks. The fan 43 is rotated through belt connection 43 withthe shaft 12.

A spring-clutch 45 is provided on the shaft of snapping-roll 7,whichnormally holds same geared to the shaft of the shredding-cylinder 13.Said clutch is opened by means of a lever'46, pivoted to the side frame1 and extending forward adjacent the forward end of the machine, whereit is bent outwardly at right angles to form a guard 47. Aplatform 48 isprovided, secured to said side frame 1, upon which the operator standsjust forward of the guard 47. Should it be desirable when operating themachine to stop the snappingrolls without stopping the power, the clutch45 is opened by means of the lever 46. Then by reversing the power andclosing said clutch 45 any foreign substance may be easily withdrawn.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a machine of the kind specified, alower snapping roll provided with spiral grooves extending from thecenter of said roll in opposite directions to the ends thereof to spreadthe stalks toward the ends of the roll and provided with a plurality ofstalkcrushing ribs extending longitudinally of the roll and crossingeach groove, and an upper snapping-roll mounted to be adjusted withreference to the lower roll and coacting with the latter to effect thespreading and crushing of the stalks.

2. In a machine of the kind specified, a lower snapping-roll providedwith spiral grooves extending from the center of said roll in oppositedirections to the ends thereof to spread the stalks toward the ends ofthe roll and provided with a plurality of stalkcrushing ribs extendinglongitudinally of the roll and crossing each groove, and an uppersnapping-roll mounted to be adjusted with reference to the lower rolland provided with a plurality of longitudinally-disposed groovescorresponding to the ribs on the lower roll and coacting therewith tocrush the stalks.

3. In a machine of the class specified, rolls adapted to snap the earsand crush the stalks, husking rolls receiving the ears from thesnapping-rolls,said rolls being connected with a source of power by aclutch whereby the snapping-rolls maybe stopped independently of theother parts of the machine, an endless conveyer inclining upwardlybeneath the husking-rolls to convey the husks and loose kernelsrearwardly, a stalk-shredding cylinder adjacent to and receivingthestalks from the snapping and crushing rolls said cylinder being locatedto discharge directly onto the endless conveyer, an open-work conveyerhaving one end overlapped by the aforesaid conveyer and receivingtherefrom the shredded stalks, husks and loose kernels, the open-workconveyer being operated to travel at a greater rate of speed than thatof the first-named conveyer, a vibratory screen below the open-workconveyer receiving the chaff and loose kernels, a fan for removing thechaff and a conveyer for the recovered kernels.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses. JOHN KOLLING. HENRY KOELLING. HERMANN KOELLING.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BATTERMANN, OTTO VAHRANWALD.

